Scary

So I don't know if many of you have seen this or not, but apparently there has been an advisory sent to airports about possible "dry runs" conducted in prep for bringing a bomb aboard a plane here in the US. It cited the following examples:

San Diego, July 7. A U.S. person - either a citizen or a foreigner legally here - checked baggage containing two ice packs covered in duct tape. The ice packs had clay inside them rather than the normal blue gel.

Milwaukee, June 4. A U.S. person's carryon baggage contained wire coil wrapped around a possible initiator, an electrical switch, batteries, three tubes and two blocks of cheese. The bulletin said block cheese has a consistency similar to some explosives.

Houston, Nov. 8, 2006. A U.S. person's checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a 9-volt battery, wires, a block of brown clay-like minerals and pipes.

Baltimore, Sept. 16, 2006. A couple's checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a block of processed cheese taped to another plastic bag holding a cellular phone charger.

The article went on to say that the individuals had not been linked to terrorist organizations but were still being investigated.

Umm... In jail I hope? Cuba? Dry runs are the only possible explanation I can see for the above items. I've never purchased any cheese that runs on Triple A's. I mean what? So my question is why the hell HASN'T the government been able to link them with a terrorist organization yet. I hope they're looking damn hard, because I can't think of an innocent explanation for any of the above.

Here is a copy of the advisory.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/NEWS/pdfs/airport%20warning.pdf

--------------------------------------------------------

On The Other Hand:

"There is no credible, specific threat here," TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said Tuesday. "Don't panic. We do these things all the time."

So. This could be something routine - this type of warning, and its being used to hype fear of terrorism during the election season. It would be NICE to think that's what it is. But...